Motor vehicle theft has become an increasing problem, especially in large cities and the suburbs surrounding those cities. In an attempt to deter vehicle theft, many anti-theft devices have been developed. Some of these devices prevent an unauthorized user from driving the vehicle by locking one or more of the vehicle's control pedals. Existing devices may disable the clutch, the brake pedal, and/or the gas pedal to prevent an unauthorized person from operating the vehicle.
An anti-theft device's usefulness is largely a measure of the following characteristics: 1) the device's inability to be easily defeated; 2) the device's ease of use; 3) the device's adaptability to be used on a variety of vehicle models; 4) the cost of the device, which is often a measure of its complexity and/or the number of its component parts; 5) the device's visibility to those outside of the vehicle thereby deterring an attempted theft; and 6) the device's ease of storage.
Currently available control pedal devices have at least one deficiency that is solved by the present invention. For example, one type of device includes two slideably coupled members, wherein one member hooks around the steering wheel and the other member hooks around one of the control pedals. Locking the device prevents an unauthorized user from actuating the control pedal and turning the steering wheel. The device's deficiency is that it is easily defeated. An unauthorized user need only cut the rim of the steering wheel to disengage the device by merely pulling apart the two ends of the cut rim. The rim can be easily cut by a hacksaw or other cutting device. In contrast, the present invention locks a control pedal without attaching itself to the rim of the steering wheel. Also, the present invention is easier to use because it only needs to be attached to the control pedal rather than the control pedal and the steering wheel.
Another type of control pedal device is characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,094,092, issued to Hsieh, 4,700,555 issued to Robertson, Sr. et al., and 4,333,326, issued to Winters, all of which are incorporated herein for reference. These devices use a locking enclosure that surrounds the control pedal or the stem of the control pedal thereby preventing the control pedal's operation. The lock in these devices must be located near the control pedal, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible to lock the device from the driving position. These devices are also difficult to see from outside of the vehicle. In contrast, the present invention is much easier to apply since it allows a user to apply the device from the driving position. The present invention is also more visible because there is a structural member that extends upward from the control pedal, and in one embodiment, the upwardly extending member further includes a means for producing light.
There are devices that might be able to be applied from the seated position. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,282,373, issued to Riccitelli ("Riccitelli"), and 5,537,846, issued to Simon ("Simon") are two such examples and are incorporated herein for reference. Riccitelli has two major disadvantages. Firstly, Riccitelli requires the user to manually adjust the height of the device by using a screwdriver or the like. This adjustment must be made so that the device fits snugly around the control pedal. The adjusted position is not permanently fixed, so the user will need to make future adjustments to properly use the device.
Second, Riccitelli can only be used on a limited number of vehicle models. Riccitelli uses a seat upon which the stem of the control pedal rests while the device is braced on the floor. The distance from the floor to the stem of the control pedal varies in different car models. As mentioned above, the user must use a screwdriver to adjust Riccitelli. By turning an adjusting screw (with the screwdriver), the user can cause the seat to move up or down thereby accommodating the differing control stem heights in various models. However, the range of motion for the seat is limited by the length of the internal adjusting screw, thereby limiting the variety of vehicles that can effectively use Riccitelli. Contrastingly, the present invention lacks the internal adjusting screw making it easier to implement, and the novel U-shaped design allows the device to be used on a wider range of vehicles.
Simon also contains several deficiencies. The user must first position bulky clamps around a control pad of the control pedal. After positioning the clamps around the brake pad, the user must extend the structure until it reaches the firewall. Then the user rotates an actuator to move one of the clamps to completely surround the brake pad. Lastly, the device is locked. Thus, Simon requires placing, extending, rotating and locking. The present invention requires fewer steps and is easier to use. The present invention only requires placing, releasing a sliding member, and then locking.
Simon requires many parts cooperating in a complicated way to achieve the desired result. This tends to make the device more expensive than the present invention, the present invention having significantly fewer parts. Lastly, the device is more difficult to store because of the protruding clamps and a cumbersome handle. In summary, the present invention is easier to use, contains fewer parts, is less complicated to manufacture and is stored more easily.
The present invention is directed to an anti-theft device that is at least as effective as presently available devices, is easy to use, is capable of cooperating with the greatest variety of vehicles, is inexpensive, highly visible, and easily stored.